Deanna Kennedy
Dean of the College of Business and Economics
About
Dr. Deanna Kennedy is the dean of the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University. She joined WWU in September of 2023. Since joining WWU she has successfully led the college in enrollment growth and the implementation of a direct-admit-to-major program. Kennedy came to WWU from the University of Washington Bothell School of Business, where she served as Associate Dean for Academics and Academic Coordinator of Operations and Management Information Systems. Dean Kennedy is a renowned researcher on team communication that spans across fields of psychology, organizational studies, and management sciences. She has over 30 publications including refereed papers, book chapters and books. Her work has been funded by NASA and the Army Research Office, and she is an Associate Editor at Group and Organization Management Journal. She also conducts research to advance Native American and Indigenous business and educational practices and pathways. She is a founding member of the Indigenous Business and Public Administration Journal and a lecturer in the Renewing Indigenous Economies at the Hoover Institution. Dean Kennedy has provided consulting expertise around strategic planning to business schools, alongside presentations on ‘Women in Project Management’ and “Teamwork in Extreme Environments.” Kennedy earned her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Management Sciences.